HomeMy WebLinkAboutWUSSB 05-08-2014West University Senior Services Board Meeting May 8, 2014 Present: Pieter Vrancken (Chair), George Baker, Michelle Moore, Philip Bryant, Selby Clark, Janet Vrancken, Becky Arnold, Candyce Beneke, Mary Ryerson. Absent: Stan McCandless, Sarah Ballanfant, John Palmer, Joe Mitchell, Virginia Lootens. Staff: Toby Brooks. Guests: Councilwoman Joan Johnson, Councilman Dick Yehle. There being a quorum, the meeting was called to order at 2PM . The M inutes of the previous meeting (4 -10 -2014) were approved as presen ted. Activities (Toby Brooks): The new French class has attracted 5 participants so far including two of our Board Members – Mary Ryerson & George Baker. The “Bones for Life” class is going strong. The Tuesday Folk Dance class has 6 participants. Other act ivities include a Mothers’ Day Tea, a Cinco de Mayo celebration and a regular meeting of the Men’s Club which has set its first excursion for May 23 rd – a visit to the Museum of Natural Science for the screening of a documentary about WWII D -Day. For June the Men’s Club will visit West Houston Airfield to view a WWII collection of aircraft. A proposal to view a 1953 Chevrolet Belair which is undergoing refurbishment is under consideration. Future activities include a June 15 Father’s Day Concert at 2PM and a possible second yoga class if the numbers justify this. Becky Arnold mentioned the MELT fitness program with two very enthusiastic instructors – Benjy and Cathy. APAC: No report. Council (Joan Johnson): In a Workshop Session, the formation of two youth g roups was discussed: a Recreati on Youth Council (to provide in put on the activities the youth group would like to see developed) and the Mayor’s Youth Council (to provide opportunities for High School age residents to learn about city government). After a discussion it was decided that the Parks & Recreation Department should seek information from area churches on what programs they offer. Council approved the purchase of a new street sweeper due to the maintenance equipment being experienced with the curre nt equipment. Funds will come from our fleet replacement fund and if additional funds are required they will be transferred from the general account. The Recycling Board Chair provided an update over the committee’s worl over the last 6 months and the proj ects planned for the remainder of the year. National Volunteers and Older Americans were recognized with a proclamation. Also receiving recognition at this meeting were National Safety Month & Building Safety Month. The final report on the 2014 Parks Maste r Planning Citizen Survey will be provided at the May 19 th City Council Meeting. Dr. Jamie Rae Walker and Jim Patterson will discuss the survey results which will help Council decide on how to proceed with our parks and whether new Parkland is wanted by ou r residents. Commenting on the survey Councilman Yehle said that the survey had produced a better than average response although heavily weighted to older respondents. Responses regarding the acquisition of new parkland and how this was to be funded were m ixed. Commenting also on yard waste recycling, Councilman Yehle indicated that although the Recycling Board are in favor of continuing this service currently the city has nowhere to dispose of the waste. Also residents would be required to provide biodegra dable bags (known to be fragile and of short life) and the cost per household per month in addition to these bags would be $2. Positive elements in the analysis were the central location of West Univers ity with anticipated short driving distances to any ne w disposal sites. Unless a contractor could be found willing to provide the service an extra tr uck would be needed. Good Neighbor Team (Michelle Moore) The 146 gift bags were distributed before Easter and included a disclaimer notice for gifts provided by vendors. The next meeting will be on May 15 th . PARD (Toby Brooks) The Board continue to be kept informed of the department’s work program by weekly reports. The department will shortly welcome three interns for the Parks, Aquatics and Recreation sections. The Parks intern will be concerned with tree inventory, power washing and general parks maintenance. The Recreation intern will deal with special events and press releases. Previous Business (Joan Johnson, Toby Brooks) Ear Looping : It does not appear feasi ble to install ear looping in the Community Center’s Auditorium since installation would have to be under floor and given the recent refurbishment of the Center there are budget constraints. An estimate of $4,500 was obtained for the Council Room. Installa tion would be easier since the floor is carpeted . IT will follow up. As an alternative to underfloor installation it might be possible to pipe ear looping into microphones but here the quality of the microphones becomes an issue. One should consider also l ikely regular attendance at Council Meetings and how many of the attendants need enhanced audio.
Name Change: The committee having considered various alternative names has contacted Andrew Hamilton Associate Dean of the Honors College at the University of Houston to conduct additional research on our name and to provide partnering opportunities on educational field trips. Mr. Hamilton has been invited to attend the Senior Board Meeting of June 12. New Business: It was decided that no Board Meetings would be held in July & August. The meeting was adjourned at 2:50PM